The instant invention relates to a head holder for livestock and particularly to a head holder which provides easy access to the animal's head for examination and treatment thereof.
A variety of head holders are known. Most of the known devices immobilize an animal's head and in the process obscure the eyes and ears of the animal and make it very difficult to open the animal's mouth. Known head holders generally involve the application of a sling underneath the animal's head or involve the fastening of the animal's head to a stationary platform, again, by securing the animal's head to a chin or throat rest.
An object of the instant invention is to provide a head holder for an animal which substantially immobilizes the animals head while allowing access to the orifices and organs carried on the animal's head.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a head holder which may be easily mounted on and removed from a livestock chute door.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a livestock head holder which swings free of the opening between the doors of a livestock chute when the doors are open, thereby allowing the animal unimpeded egress from the chute.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a livestock head holder which substantially immobilizes the animal's head without causing appreciable discomfort or harm to the animal.
Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a livestock head holder which is inexpensive to manufacture, and is easy and simple to operate and maintain.
The head holder of the instant invention is intended for use on a cattle chute, the chute having a vertically elongate opening at one end thereof allowing passage of the head only of animal restrained in the chute therethrough. The head holder includes a head catch for engaging the head of an animal adjacent to the animal's neck and positioning means for positioning the head catch. The positioning means includes a pivotable mount allowing selective positioning of the catch between a head engaging position and a disengaged position and elevating means for selectively raising and lowering the head catch.
These and other objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more fully apparent as the description which follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.